
How Dysfunctional Was Your Childhood
Most of us wouldn’t describe our families as dysfunctional when telling our story. We may reserve the term “dysfunctional” for only the most extreme cases. Unless we’ve suffered sexual or physical abuse, or even if we have, we may tell ourselves that there was no dysfunction in our family. Yet, in America dysfunctional families are the norm due to cultural values, a high divorce rate, and widespread addictions – from prescription drugs to exercising, working, and shopping.
A dysfunctional family is formally characterized by conflict, misbehavior, or abuse. Relationships between family members are tense and can be filled with neglect, yelling, and screaming. You might feel forced to happily accept negative treatment. By this definition, we have all experienced some degree of dysfunction in the process of growing up. And how well we cope in our lives today depends, to a large degree, on how much we are willing to recognize and make sense of this trauma.
Take the quick inventory below to see how your own family ranks.